According to Bennett, while on his way back to his hotel after attending the Mayweather-McGregor fight in Las Vegas on August 26, he and many others in the area ran from what sounded like gun shots. That's when, according Bennett, "police officers singled me out and pointed their guns at me for doing nothing more than simply being a black man in the wrong place at the wrong time."

The 31-year-old NFL star says one officer ordered him to the ground, then "placed his gun near my head and warned me that if I moved he would 'blow my fucking head off.'" He adds that a second officer "forcefully jammed his knee into my back making it difficult for me to breathe," before he was handcuffed "so tight that my fingers went numb." He writes that the "excessive use of force was unbearable," adding that he felt "helpless" and feared for his life.

A brief video from the incident was obtained by TMZ. It shows Bennett lying face down on the sidewalk while an officer handcuffs him. "I wasn't doing nothing!" he tells the officer. "They told us to get out, everybody ran!"

"All I could think of was, 'I'm going to die for no other reason than I am black and my skin color is somehow a threat,'" Bennett, a father of three, writes in the message. "My life flashed before my eyes as I thought of my girls. Would I ever play with them again? Or watch them have kids? Or be able to kiss my wife again and tell her I love her?"

Bennett says police kept him in the back of a patrol car "for what felt like an eternity" until they realized who he was and released him "without any legitimate justification" for their conduct.

Bennett also emphasizes that, as shown by his story, racial discrimination can affect even the most famous and wealthy in society. On the other hand, by speaking out, Bennett is using his platform to address a problem that affects many Americans, many of whom do not have the same reach or resources.

"The system failed me," Bennett writes in his social media message, before invoking the names of several victims of police violence. "I can only imagine what Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, and Charleena Lyles felt."

Bennett's post has received a outpouring of support from Twitter, where it has already received more than 100,000 retweets. Celebrities and others in the sports industry, including Colin Kaepernick, have praised Bennett for sharing his experience, encouraging others to read his post and offering their solidarity.

Bennett wrote that he is exploring his legal options with Oakland civil rights attorney John Burris, and is considering filing a civil rights lawsuit over the officers' treatment.

This isn't the first time Bennett has used his platform to speak out and give back. Earlier this year, he was inspired by Chance the Rapper's $1 million donation to Chicago Public Schools to donate all of his 2017 endorsement money to programs helping minority communities and empowering women of color. He also vowed to donate 50 percent of his jersey sales this year to support inner city garden projects.

"Any company that decides to invest in me, just know that you'll be investing in opportunities and providing inspiration for these families — many who feel unnoticed or go unmentioned," he wrote on Instagram at the time, encouraging other athletes to follow suit.